Things Change
by Cayla Renee Kullin
Summary: When Edward left in New Moon, he didn't come back. Now Bella has a new life and family. And she's a vampire. She returns to Forks with her small coven, only to meet up with the Cullens again. Can Edward win her back?
1. Chapter 1

**Things Change**

Chapter One: Forks

I couldn't believe it. We were moving back to Forks. It had been three hundred years since I was last there. The town hadn't changed much, but I had. I'd been wandering alone in the woods one day. The hole in my chest was terrible, and I needed an escape. Stupid me. How could I have forgotten that Victoria was out there, waiting for her chance to kill me? She saw me alone and attacked. But she never finished. Someone had pulled her off me, and I thought the pain would end then. But then something was cutting me, and the fire started burning through me, clearing out all thought. Three painful days later, I'd woken up and seen my savior. Trent had been surprised at how much I'd already known, so I'd explained to him about the Cullens, trying to ignore that hole in my chest. Eventually my friendship with Trent grew into something more. I loved him, not as much as I had loved Edward, but a lot. He'd doubted me in the beginning, though. But I'd told him that even if Edward showed up, wanting me back, I would choose Trent. And I meant it. Edward had hurt me too much, and Trent had healed me. Trent was a "vegetarian" too, and I was grateful for that. I didn't think I could kill anybody. About one hundred years after my change, a new member came to our coven. I'd found her in the middle of a deserted road, hit by a truck and left to die. I couldn't bear to leave her, so I changed her. Immediately after the change, she'd been hyper and excited, and had stayed that way ever since. She'd introduced herself as Joanna Gwyneth Carson, and told us to call her Joey. She had been sixteen when she was changed.

Now Trent and I were in our blue Mercedes, and Joey was following close behind in her little silver punch buggy. I didn't go by Bella anymore. My name was Izzy now, and I preferred it. I glanced back at Joey, who gave me a grin and a wave, which I then returned. Trent was driving with one hand, the other holding mine. He looked at me and we stared into each other's eyes for several minutes before the ringing of my cell phone brought us back to reality. I looked at the caller ID. Joey. I answered. "Joanna Gwyneth Carson Palmer, you'd better have a good reason for calling me now when you are right behind us," I growled. Palmer was Trent's last name, and we all used it now.

"Geez, calm down Izzy. I was just going to let you know that I'm going to skip out on hunting tonight. I'll go tomorrow," I heard her sweet, musical voice say. "Why couldn't you wait untill we got to the house to say that?" I asked, annoyed. "I was also going to remind Trent to keep his eyes on the road," she stated simply. I sighed and hung up, but I had to chuckle along with Trent. "Sometimes I'm really glad you changed that little goofball. She may have way too much energy for someone that tiny, but she sure is entertaining," he said, laughing. I joined in, and we both knew that Joey was probably debating wether to be offended or complimented. Soon we reached our new house, and her internal debate would likely be stopping now.

The house wasn't huge, but it was roomy and cozy at the same time. It didn't take long to get all of our stuff inside, and then Trent and I went hunting while Joey stayed behind to finish arrangeing her room. The three of us would be starting High School tomorrow. Joey would be a sophmore, I would be a juinor, and Trent would be a senior. I wasn't really looking forward to being taught what I already knew, but it was a necessary charade. I would use Carson as my last name, so that Trent and I wouldn't have to hide our relationship. I didn't want to go back to school, but at least I would have Trent and Joey with me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Forks

**Author's note: This is pretty much just like the last chapter, only here you get Trent and Joey's points of view and learn a bit about them**

**Trent's POV:**

As we drove toward our new home, I glanced over at Izzy constantly. I wasn't sure how returning here after three hundred years would affect her, but she seemed fine. She caught my eye, and as I stared at her I realized how lucky I was to have her. I remembered the first time I ever saw her with perfect clarity. Her face was so beautiful, even as that redheaded vampire was attacking her, even contorted in pain as it was. I stopped the redhead, hoping she would be okay. But she wasn't. I knew she would die if I didn't change her, so I did. I was shocked, at the time, that she'd known so much, but then she explained about the other coven. When she told be how that boy had left her, I was furious. I hated him, even to this day. But I had focused on helping Izzy adjust. In the early years, she still went by Bella, but I could tell it didn't feel right anymore. So when she'd told me she wanted to be called Izzy, I accepted the change without question.

I loved her almost instantly. I'd been a vampire for about two hundred years before I'd met her, and in those years I'd never met anybody so sweet, so compassionate, or so beautiful. And when she changed silly little Joey one hundred years later, our family felt perfect, complete. Sure, Joey got lonely sometimes without a partner of her own, but for the most part we were happy. As I stared into Izzy's eyes, I wondered if I should kiss her now or wait for us to get somewhere more private. But her ringing cell phone cut through my thoughts.

I listened to the girls' conversation and was torn between irratation and amusement. In the end, amusement won. "Sometimes I'm really glad you changed that little goofball. She may have way too much energy for someone that tiny, but she sure is entertaining," I laughed when Izzy hung up. She joined in, her laughter music to my ears. Izzy and I didn't stay at the house long after we got there. We wanted to go hunting and get some alone time.

**Joey's POV:**

**Author's note: Sorry to bug you here, but I wanted to let you know that Bella/Izzy never told Joey about the Cullens or about living in Forks. It becomes important later on. **

I couldn't understand why Izzy and Trent were so tense about this move. It was just some rainy small town, nothing special. In fact, boring. We always lived in boring towns. I wanted to live somewhere exciting like I had before my change. _Stupid truck_, I thought. _Had to hit me so now I can only live in boring places. But it is the reason I found Trent and Izzy, so I forgive it_, I finished, knowing how pathetic it was that I had to forgive a truck. We got to the house pretty quickly, and I dashed upstairs to claim the room with the best view.

Thankfully, the interior of the room was just as good as what was outside of the bay window. There was even a windowseat I could use for reading! Everything was deep purple, with white and pale purple accents. It was perfect. The bed would have to move, and so would the desk, and most of the other furniture, but that would be easy. I heard Izzy and Trent leave, and I knew that they would probably do more than just hunt. I sighed. I never showed it, but I was really lonely.

Izzy and Trent were like big siblings and parents rolled into one, but I wanted more that just a friend or family member. What I really wanted was to find love, to find an eternal partner who would love me and cherish me, and who I could love and cherish in return. It was like a constant tugging in my silent heart. I'd never let Trent and Izzy know though. I didn't want to trouble them. They'd done so much already. I lay down on my bed, wondering what school would be like the next day. And having been to countless schools over the years, I knew the most likely answer. Boring.

**Author's note: Yes, I know this is the third one. Chapters will get longer as we go on. Review please! This is my first one and I could use some tips.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: School

**Izzy's POV:**

We drove toward the school, stuffed into Joey's little punch buggy. I wasn't too squashed because Trent had chivalriously given me the front seat. But he was obviously uncomfortablein the minimal space in the back. I wish we could have taken the Mercedes, but we wanted to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Finally, we pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School. The building was untouched by time, and I was surprised to find I remembered where everything was. As soon as we were parked, we rushed out of the car, Joey eager to be somewhere new, Trent eager to stretch his cramped muscles, me just wanting to get this over with.

"Joey, you really need a car with more room," Trent said as he stretched. He should have known better. Joey loved that car, and would not tolerate one word against it. She slammed her door and glared at him. "You want more room, drive your own car," she growled. "Too conspicuous, remember?" he replied. "So buy another!" she snapped. "Okay, okay, calm down. It would not be good for the two of you to get into a fight with so many people around," I cut in. I then took both their hands and pulled them toward the office.

A few minutes later we emerged, schedules and school maps in our hands. "Well, I'm off to class. Geography, oh joy. See you two later," Joey said glumly before walking away. "Wow, Joey sounding unhappy. She must really hate that class," I muttered. Trent laughed and gently pulled me closer. "We really should be going now. I only hope the hours go by quickly so I can get back to you," he whispered in my ear. He gave me a quick kiss before hurrying toward his first class. I headed off toward my class as well, prepared for the monotony of another school day.

I hadn't looked at what the class was before, only the room number. But as I got closer, I decided I wanted to know what it was. Biology, I realized with a pang. The very class where I had first met Edward. I forced him out of my mind. I was happy with Trent, and I would never see Edward again. So I shouldn't be thinking about him. I entered the classroom and, ignoring the students' mutiple reactions, walked up to the teacher's desk. The only seat open was in the front, so people would be able to stare at me, but at least he didn't make me introduce myself.

Class went by slowly. I managed to both space out and take perfect notes at the same time, a helpful skill when the teacher was so boring. After what seemed like forever, the bell finally rang, and I started packing up my things at a human pace. "Hi, you must be new here. I'm Robert Learly," a voice said. I looked up and saw a tan boy with black hair that was spiked up and brown eyes. For a human, he wasn't bad looking, but he reminded me of somebody. "Isabella Carson. Izzy for short," I told him. "What's your next class?" he asked. I told him. "That's mine too! I'll walk you there," he said, obviously excited. Now I remembered who he reminded me of. I just hoped he didn't turn out to be like a golden retriever too.

Robert walked next to me on the way to class, talking the whole time about trivial things that held no interest for me. I just smiled and nodded the whole time, trying to look like I cared while really thinking of way to get rid of him. I'd hoped I'd be free of his talking when we got to class, but the only open seat was next to him. I held back a groan. This was going to be a long day.

**Trent's POV:**

School had barely started and already I wished it was over. I was absolutely hating this. I'd learned this all so many times I could probably teach it better than the teacher himself. Yet the first thing the teacher had done was let me know how hard his class was, and that I'd better pay attention and work hard. I had to keep myself from laughing. I'd heard that so many times. The teacher immediately launched into a lecture, and I took notes even though I didn't need to. He was even more boring than I thought he would be.

I did my best to ignore the other students, but I could clearly hear them whispering about me. Mostly the girls, but there was a boy or two muttering about how he could probably take me on. I almost laughed at that point, but managed to stop myself. The girls' whispering was much harder to ignore. They were all so immature. I wished Izzy were here. She at least could make this entertaining. At least I would get to see her at lunch, and goofy little Joey too. I knew Joey was probably loving the attention right now.

When the bell finally rang, I hurried to gather up my stuff and get out of there before any of the girls could come over to irratate me. I daydreamed through the rest of the classes untill lunch. I was hoping I'd be able to talk to Izzy and Joey there, but there was a _very_ talkative boy following Izzy around. We couldn't talk about what we wanted to with him there. Joey seemed to have a small crowd of admirers too, but the stayed away and stared at her from another table. Most of lunch was spent without a word from any of us, except for Joey expressing her irratation that everybody called her Joanna no matter how many times she'd told them not to. The rest of the time was spent wishing the boy following Izzy would shut up.

The rest of the school day was just as bad, with more boring teachers and irratating students. I couldn't escape those girls forever, and eventually they did corner me. There were three of them fighting for my attention, oblivious to the fact that I wanted to get away. I was definately going to have to make it known that Izzy and I were a couple very soon, because hopefully then they'd leave me alone. Finally school was over, and I managed to live through the ride home in Joey's car. After a few minutes of recapping our days, Joey headed out to hunt. Izzy and I finally had the house to ourselves.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I've been forgetting to put this is but I do not own Twilight. Twilight is the work of the talented Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 4: Hunting

**Joey's POV:**

School had been absolutely horrible. Teachers acted like I was stupid, random kids followed me around, and people kept calling me Joanna! I kept telling them to call me Joey, but I might have said nothing at all for the amount they were listening. I probably would have liked all the attention people were giving me, if only they'd called me Joey. But they didn't, and I'd just grown more and more irratated. And I was supposed to put up with this for at least a year. Trent was lucky, he got to be a senior and only go for one year at all. But unless we moved, I'd be stuck there for three. But I could tell that he and Izzy weren't enjoying themselves either. Maybe we would move soon.

After that long and painful day, if felt so good to be able to run at my full vampire speed. I knew I'd come out here to hunt, and I would eventually. But first I just wanted to run some of my troubles away. Suddenly, the wind changed direction. I froze, surprised. More vampires were nearby. A big group from the scent. I knew it was probably a bad idea to stick around in the area, because they might not be friendly, but I was curious. Maybe they weren't that bad. I climbed to the top of the nearest tree and jumped from treetop to treetop toward the scent.

They were all standing in a clearing, talking in smaller groups. I had smelled eight before, but I only saw seven now. The other one must have gone somewhere. I crouched on a thin branch, perfectly balenced. This was interesting. I realized with relief that their eyes were golden, meaning that they wouldn't be hunting any humans. But that didn't mean that they weren't a danger to me. I was still debating wether or not to approach them when I heard a voice from behind me. "Boo!" it yelled. I tried to turn around, but the branch was too thin and I slipped off. I managed to land on my feet, but I was now in full view of the group of vampires.

"Emmett, what are you doing? That wasn't a nice thing to do to the poor girl," one of them said as the one who had caused my fall jumped down. "But it _was_ funny," he replied, which got him a frown from her and a glare from a blonde girl. I crossed my arms for a second, then realized that I had no way of knowing if these vampires were friendly or not. I quickly sank into a crouch, ready to defend myself. Of course, I wouldn't stand a chance against eight, but I wasn't going down without a fight.

"Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you," one of them, the one who looked like the oldest male, told me. I waited a few seconds before cautiously standing up. "What's your name? Are there others with you?" he asked. "My name is Joanna Gwyneth Carson Palmer. Joey, for short. There's two others with me, Trent and Izzy. But they're back at the house," I said. He smiled at me.

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and this is Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Edward, and Ruven," he told me, pointing them all out in turn. Emmett was the one who had come up behind me in the tree. Ruven held my attention the most. He had short black hair and he was really tall. He was very good looking, even for vampire standards. His eyes locked on mine, and we both smiled a bit. Suddenly, I decided to trust them. I turned back to Carlisle. "Maybe I should call Trent and Izzy and have them come here to meet you. We don't meet other vampires often, and when we do we usually don't get along. They don't really get our choices in lifestyle," I said.

I called Izzy's cell phone, but it was either off or dead. So I called the house phone instead. "Hello?" I heard Trent ask. "Trent, it's Joey. I've got some news with a very high awesomeness level," I told him. "What is it Joey?" he said, used to my excitement. But this time it was justified. "I met up with another coven like us! You know, 'vegatarians'. You and Izzy should come meet them," I said, speaking very fast. "I don't know..." he said. "Come on Trent!" I pleaded. "Izzy and I are sort of...busy," he told me. "As if you two don't do that enough. How often do we get to make friends? Please?" I begged. I heard him sigh, and I knew I'd won.

"Fine Joey, we're coming," he said, and then hung up. "Yay! They're coming to meet you guys," I said, grinning. Trent and Izzy were coming to meet my new friends the Cullens! Maybe Forks wouldn't be _too_ bad. But first I needed to know if they were even going to stay in the area. "So do you guys live in the area?" I asked. "We just moved back. We lived here a really long time ago, and we liked it so much we decided to come back," Carlisle said. "That's great! We live right in town," I said. I saw Ruven smile out of the corner of my eye.

My cell phone rang, and I picked it up. It was Izzy. "Joey, we'll be there in about three minutes. Can you go that long without freaking out?" she said. I smiled. "I'll try. No promises though," I told her. I heard her and Trent laugh on the other end. "Like I said, three minutes," she repeated, before hanging up. _Doesn't anybody say goodbye anymore?_ I wondered. I had a feeling that Forks was about to get a lot more interesting, once Trent and Izzy met the Cullens.

**Author's note: What do you think so far? Yes, I added a new member to the Cullen family. Just to let you know, the next chapter is basically going to be this, only in the POVs of a few Cullens. So that little cliffy is still there. Reviews are awesome, and thanks to the awesome people who already left awesome reviews. I've been updating like crazy today (4 chapters!) because the characters won't let me take a break. Some nice reviews might satisfy them, so that maybe I can get some sleep tonight.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Hunting

**Edward's POV: **

We were really back in Forks. Being there brought back so many painful memories. Memories of my Bella, who was long gone. I had tried to go to Italy when I'd heard of her death, but Emmett and Jasper stopped me. My family had managed to convince me that Bella would not have wanted that. And I knew I deserved every moment of pain after what I had put her through. At her memorial service, Charlie had told me how bad she was after I left. Three hundred years had gone by, and I had spent most of them thinking about Bella. She's died so young, just a few months after I left her. I knew I should never have left.

In fact, I knew I should have given her what she had wanted. She had wanted to spend eternity with me. Why hadn't I let her? I should have known better than to leave danger prone Bella on her own. But I didn't want to be selfish and take away her life. Then her life was taken anyway. I had pretty much stopped believing in any form of a god after that. No god could cut the life of such a sweet, innocent person so short. But I knew it was mostly my fault. If I hadn't left her, I could have protected her.

Our coven had grown very slightly over the years, adding one new member, Ruven. Carlisle had met him in the hospital. He was dying, of course. He'd had no family, and nobody who cared for him. He lived on the streets. A group of idiots had attacked him for their own amusement, harming him to the point that only vampire venom could cure. Carlisle had been moved by his story, and will to live, and had changed him. He'd been eighteen. He was freaked out in the beginning, but eventually grew to love this life. He'd become a close friend to me over the years.

Now we were back in Forks, where it had all started. We even lived in the same house, now that Esme had fixed it up. Everything was just like it was mere days before I met Bella. Except me. We were all in the woods, hunting before we went to school the next day. But then we caught the scent of another vampire on the wind. They were alone, so they weren't a danger to us together. So we didn't spilt up. But then stupid Emmett had wandered off, and we had all focused on keeping Rosalie from going after him. Emmett could look after himself in a fight.

I couldn't hear a single thought from the vampire nearby. Alice couldn't see anything about them either. It was very strange, almost unnerving, not knowing who was coming and if they were friendly of not. Then I heard Emmett's thoughts, centered around a small girl he saw in the top of a tree watching the rest of us. He wanted to try and be friends with her. But he actually caused her to fall out of the tree. She landed on her feet on the edge of the clearing. She really was tiny, barely as tall as even Alice. But she looked about sixteen, from her face. Straight, white-blonde hair went down to her shoulders, worn in two small, loose pigtails worn low on her head.

I still couldn't hear her thoughts, but as she spoke to Carlisle I had drifted off. I could smell another scent on her, a floral one. It reminded me so much of Bella that it was painful. It was not the girl's scent, but the scent of another in her coven. I came out of my daydreams when I heard Ruven's thoughts on the girl. I could tell he was liking her very much, hoping she lived nearby. He was wishing for many more opportunities to speak to her, preferably alone. I saw something in the girls eyes when she saw him that made me think she wished the same, but I still couldn't hear her thoughts.

It was strange, the only time that had ever happened before was when I'd met Bella. But this girl not only was seemingly immune to my gift, but Alice's too. Alice was wondering why she hadn't seen her coming, and why she still wasn't seeing anything. Next thing I knew, Joey was calling the other two in her coven and asking them to come meet us. When I heard the woman's voice after she called Joey, her voice reminded me so much of Bella's. I was being reminded of Bella so much lately, and it was causing me a great deal of pain.

**Author's note: Yep, there it is. What Edward's been up to. I won't be updating until Sunday at the earliest, because of Breaking Dawn. I'm sure you're all just as excited as I am and will be too busy reading to to look at this. I also want to wait until some of the craziness dies down. Sorry about the cliffy not being resolved, but I'm evil. You'll find out what happens when they meet up in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Meeting

**Izzy's POV:**

I understood Joey's excitement over this new coven in the area, but I was still wary. She had said they were safe, but sometimes she trusted too easily. I wondered how long they were staying. Would they be attending the school with us? How many were there? So many questions rushed through my mind as I ran, following Joey's trail. We hadn't had a friendly meeting with other vampires in quite a while. I had reason to believe that this time would be different, since Joey told me they shared our lifestyle.

Trent and I slowed down as we neared the clearing. We caught their scent as well as Joey's. There were eight newcomers. That surprised me. I hadn't come across such a large coven since the Cullens. As usual, the tinest thought about them distracted me for a second with numerous memories, and I quickly pushed them away. _Stop thinking about them!_ I thought to myself. _You are happy with Trent!_ We walked at a human pace as we approached. Suddenly, Joey came running out of the trees, a grin on her face. "There you guys are! Geez, you took forever! Come on, come on! Come meet them," she squealed, jumping up and down.

"Joey, take it easy. Are you sure their friendly?" Trent said quietly. He was looking unusually serious. Joey's hyperactivity usually made him smile or laugh. But I could tell that, for the moment, he considered the newcomers a threat. So right now he was not the usual laid back Trent. He was a strong, protective coven leader. It was not common that he had to assume that roll. But when he felt threatened, protecting his family (a.k.a Joey and me) was all he thought about. Joey, however, was completly oblivious to why he was so serious. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course I'm sure Trent. You think I would call you two if I wasn't?" she said, still smiling. Then she grew serious. "I would never put the two of you at risk like that. You should know that," she told him. He nodded. Then she took both of our hands and pulled us out into the clearing. I felt a sudden jolt when I saw the newcomers. No, it couldn't be. Impossible. "Izzy, Trent, I'd like to introduce you both to the Cullens," she said smiling. I stood frozen for a second. Then I heard him.

"Bella," he whispered, shocked. I looked at him, seeing his expression of shock and confusion. "Bella, is that you?" I heard Alice ask. This was too much. I turned and walked into the trees, breaking into a run after I was out of their sight. How was this possible? I was never supposed to see them again. I didn't know if I could do this. If they were going to be living in Forks, going to the same school, could I handle it? I ran straight to the house, deep in thought. One question played over and over again in my head: Could I handle staying here with the Cullens here too?

**Joey's POV:**

"Izzy, Trent, I'd like to introduce you to the Cullens," I said. I instantly felt them both stiffen. That didn't make sense to me. Suddenly the boy with the bronze hair, Edward, spoke. "Bella," he whispered, shock clear on his face. I was confused. Who was Bella? Then the girl with the black hair, Alice spoke too. "Bella, is that you?" she asked. I was sure they had Izzy confused with somebody else. But then she turned around and walked away. I looked to Trent for some sort of explaination, and froze in surprise.

I didn't think I'd ever seen him quite so angry. "Which one of you is Edward?" he snarled. I felt my eyes widen. I was almost sure I was missing something big. Then Edward stepped forward. "I can't believe you had the nerve to speak to her, after everything you did. Stay away from her," Trent growled before running off in the same direction Izzy had. "Trent!" I called after him, surprised at his rudeness. By now I was absolutely positive that I was missing something, not big, but huge. It didn't make sense. What were Trent and Izzy keeping from me?

"I'm really sorry, that's not like him," I said. "Or her," I added, thinking of Izzy. "That's alright. I deserved it," Edward said, looking and sounding completely distraught. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Have you ever asked her about her human life?" he said, replying with a question of his own. "No," I admitted. "You should," he replied simply. I nodded. I smiled at them all apologetically before turning around and running toward the house, where Trent and Izzy's scents told me they were. I went inside and entered their room, where they were talking very quietly, too quietly for even me to hear. I wanted some answers.

**Edward's POV: **

I couldn't believe it. It didn't make sense. How was it possible that the vampire I'd just seen was Bella? I wasn't sure at first, but the male's angry words erased all doubt. Bella was not dead at all. I felt so much happiness, knowing that I could try to earn her forgiveness, and we could be together. Then something else sank in. She had found somebody else. All the happiness I had felt at discovering her existence vanished now. She was alive, but she belonged to another. She had a family. She had moved on, like I had wanted her to. Only now I wished she hadn't. Would I have to see her in school the next day? Would she be with _him_?

Just when some of the pain at our parting had barely begun to dull, there was a new pain, worse than the old one. She was alive, but did not want anything to do with me. I was able to be with her withour hurting her, and she was with another. She must hate me now. _I_ hated me now. I didn't deserve her. I should be happy that she'd moved on. Glad for her happiness. But all I could feel was the pain.

**Author's Note: Well, there you go. Bella/Izzy knows that the Cullens are there, and Edward knows she exists. On a random note, what did you all think of Breaking Dawn? I want so badly to talk about it here, but I don't want to spoil it for anybody who hasn't finished. I can think of several words to describe it. Unexpected. Crazy. Different. WOW. Let me know your opinions! Put them in reviews. Reviews on my story are nice too, even criticism. Thanks to all you awesome people who've already reviewed! Or favorited. Or added this to the alert list. You all rock!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Answers

**Joey's POV:**

I hesitated outside their door, knowing that they probably wanted some alone time. But I wanted to know what was going on. From the beginning, they'd told me that there were no secrets in the family. But now it looked like they were both keeping some huge secret from me. What could have prompted that kind of reaction to the Cullens? The two of them had embaressed me by their rudeness, and I wanted to know why they acted that way. I knocked loudly on their door, a little angry that they were keeping something from me.

"Come in Joey," I heard Izzy's voice say. I opened the door to see her and Trent sitting on the bed, her looking sad and him still looking furious. I could tell they'd been doing some serious talking. Normally, Izzy's sadness would have taken any anger right out of me. But right now it had the opposite effect. "Would either of you care to tell me what that was all about?" I said, struggling to keep from yelling. "It's nothing Joey. It doesn't concern you," Trent cut in. That was just too much. "Doesn't concern me? Do you not consider me family or something? I thought you two said that there were no secrets here! I have never kept a single secret from either of you! I want to know why you were so mean to them in the clearing!" I yelled.

Trent was really angry now. "It's not your business Joanna! Izzy doesn't want you to know! What gives you the right to come in here and demand to be told what's going on? You can't always get your way! You are still a child in so many ways!" he yelled. I opened my mouth to yell something back, but Izzy interrupted. "Enough, both of you! Joey's right. She has a right to know," she said, the last part being mostly for Trent. He frowned and walked out of the room.

Izzy spent the next hour telling me everything. When she was finished, I understood Trent's anger. I hated anything that hurt anybody in my family so bad. And Trent had seen it all. I knew that it was wrong of him to lash out at me, but I didn't blame him anymore. And I had been a little badly behaved myself, barging in, yelling and demanding. After she finished, Izzy took the car out for a drive, to clear her mind.

I went into the bathroom to take a relaxing bath. Today had been a long day, and I let my mind drift where it wanted to. But I didn't like where it kept drifting. Every time I let my mind wander, I saw Ruven Cullen's face in my mind. After everything Izzy had told me today, I didn't want to think about _any_ of the Cullens. I knew from Izzy that Ruven hadn't been with them at the time, but still. Izzy wanted nothing to do with the Cullens, so I wouldn't have anything to do with them either. But I kept picturing his face, his smile, remembering how I'd felt when I saw him.

But I couldn't have anything to do with him. I knew it would hurt Izzy. I knew that deep down I wanted to get to know him, I wasn't stupid enough not to realize that, or stubborn enough to deny it. I hoped I was strong enough to fight it. Because anything that had the slightest possibility of hurting Izzy was out of the question. I suddenly wished I had let Izzy keep her secret between her and Trent. But I had been too stubborn for that. I had wanted answers, and now I had them. Only at the moment I was wishing I hadn't asked, as Ruven's face once again filled my mind.

**Izzy's POV: **

I couldn't stand watching Joey and Trent fight. They _never_ fought. But they were never both angry or upset at the same time. Joey was never angry or upset at all. I could see why she was so upset. We _had_ told her that there were no secrets in the family. So the fact that we were keeping something from her must have hurt her. She also seemed to have liked the Cullens, so she was probably annoyed when we'd reacted like that. And Trent was just furious that he'd seen the one who hurt me so badly. Everybody's emotions were running high.

After explaining to Joey, I'd driven off in the mercedes, needing some time to think and be by myself. Trent was sitting in the living room, glaring at the wall. I walked past him and got into the car, having no idea where I was going. Questions ran through my mind as I drove. Could I bear to stay here? Could I handle seeing _him_? Did I need to leave here for the sake of my sanity? I just wasn't sure. I liked it here. Sure, there were some people at school I could live without, but other than that this place was perfect. After all these years, it still felt like home.

I suddenly found myself wondering about the remains of my human life. What had happened to Charlie after I'd left? What about Renee and Phil? And all my old friends? My human memories were so clear now that I was in the place they'd been made. I realized that I didn't want to leave. And Edward had no right to force me away from where I wanted to be. So I would not let him. We were staying in Forks.

When I got home that night, I could hear Trent and Izzy talking. Trent was apologizing, and Joey was telling him that he was forgiven and that she understood. I went straight to my room, not wanting to interrupt them. A few minutes later, Trent came in and sat beside me on the bed. "Are you alright?" he asked me. "I'm fine. I'm not going to let this mess up the great life we have," I told him. He smiled. "I can't tell you how much I'd like to kill him," he muttered. "No killing, Trent. Hurting is a different story," I joked. He laughed, and I heard a tiny giggle from Joey's room.

"So we're staying here?" he aked. I nodded. "I love it here. He's not going to puch me away from where I want to be," I told him. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Maybe the opportunity for a fight will present itself," he whispered, and we both smiled. I wouldn't let Edward disrupt my happiness. I was sure that I would be able to keep him away. After all he'd done, I should easily be able to hate him. I just needed time to work up to it.

**Author's note: What's going to happen now with Joey and Ruven? And what's going to happen when Bella/Izzy and Edward have to go to to school together? Only I know. Please review. This is my first fanfic, so any comments on where I need to improve and things like that is really appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Willpower

**Izzy's POV:**

As we approached the school the next day, I could feel the tension growing between all three of us. We were all silent, for our own reasons. I was afraid to speak because I was afraid I would chicken out and go home. I could tell Trent was still feeling guilty about last night, and didn't know what to say because of it. And Joey was confusing me. She had never been so quiet even for a second, but she'd barely said a word since she told Trent she'd forgiven him. I had a strong feeling that the Cullens would be there today, and I just hoped that Edward was at least in a different year.

Just as the three of us were getting out of the car, I saw them pull up. If my heart was able to beat, it would probably be pounding now. I felt Trent slip his arm around my waist as they got out of their car, and I turned to face him. "You can go home if you want to," he whispered. I shook my head. I was staying, and that was it. "Um, guys, I'm going to head to class now. Bye!" Joey interrupted, her voice a bit too high. She also ran away a bit too fast, at what could barely be considered a human pace. I wondered what that was about.

"Trent, we should probably be getting to class too," I whispered. He hesitated, not wanting to leave me. Finally, he nodded and walked off, glaring in the Cullens' direction as he went. I hurried off toward my class, not wanting to be near _him_. A few minutes into class, it was clear that was not going to happen yet. He walked into the room and handed the teacher a paper. And the only open seat was right next to me. Just my luck.

"Bella," he whispered to me once the teacher had begun speaking. I didn't answer. "Bella, please," he pleaded. "My name is not Bella. I'm Izzy now," I hissed back. "Fine, Izzy then. Will you just listen to me, please?" he said. I shook my head. "No." I could see the pain in his eyes, but I didn't care. I was fighting the fact that all that time apart, all that hurt, had not made me love him any less. But I'd made a promise to Trent. I wouldn't abandon him. Joey either. Trent knew me better by now, too.

"Hear me out," he pleaded. "No, Edward, I will not hear you out. I do not want to speak to you. I do not want to see you. I do not even want to think of you. Just leave me alone," I growled. All this had taken place at vampire speed, and a volume that no human could hear. I tried not to think about how much my words hurt him. His pain caused me pain. How was it possible for him to hurt me so much and for me to still feel this way? But I wasn't giving in. I loved Trent too, very, very much. But not as much as Edward. Enough to be happy, though. All I had to do was shut Edward out completely.

Part of me wanted him to keep pleading, just so I could hear his voice. But most of me knew what a bad idea that would be. He stopped talking to me and turned to his notes. But I could still see the pain in his eyes. So I looked away, trying to think of ways to make me dislike him. I came upon one thought that filled me with anger, and that helped, now that I thought of it. He didn't want me when I was a plain, clumsy human. But now that I was a beautiful and graceful vampire, he suddenly wanted me to forgive him? I saw a glimpse of his schedule out of the corner of my eye. Most of his classes were the same as mine. This was not my day at all.

**Joey's POV: **

I felt a little guilty about bailing on Trent and Izzy by the car this morning when Izzy was clearly stressed, but I'd had to. Ruven had looked at me again, and my eyes had met his. As if that wasn't enough, he had smiled. Not a small smile, but a big grin. He was so nice looking when he grinned. He was so nice looking in general. His hair looked so soft, his body obviously strong, and he towered over me. He must have been at least a foot and a half taller than my four feet ten inches. A disadvantage of being so short.

I immediately stopped myself. It didn't matter that I was so much smaller, because we would never be together. I refused to let that happen, no matter how much I wanted it. It didn't help that he was so damn georgeous. And I could tell already that he was kind and sweet. I could sort of sense people's personalities, and his was the nicest, funniest, and sweetest I'd ever sensed. It was as if every part of me was fighting against my willpower, trying to make me give up.

In class, my mind had changed about that. It wasn't just my body fighting my willpower, it was the whole universe. There were three open seats in that room! Why did he have to be assigned the seat next to me? And why did his eyes have to light up like that when he saw me? Why did the universe want me to fail, to cause Izzy pain? After class, I tried to get out of there quickly, but I could only move at a human pace and he'd caught up to me just outside the door.

"You're Joey, right?" he asked, extending his hand and grinning. Why, why, why? Why did I love the way he said my name so much? Maybe if I tried it with the name I hated. "Joanna," I told him coldly. "Alright then, Joanna," he agreed. I _still_ liked it too much. "Only friends and people I don't dislike call me Joey," I added, hoping he'd get the hint and leave before I lost control and started being nice back. The places that could lead...

I stopped myself. I was just thankful when understanding filled his eyes and he walked away. Relieved, but in pain, I managed to live through the rest of the day, relieved that he seemed to be avoiding me now. But I could still see that look in his eyes, the one telling me that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. That made it a lot harder. But loyalty to my family kept my willpower from breaking.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Alice

**Izzy's POV:**

I was immensely relieved when the school day finally came to an end. I was rushing toward my car when I felt somebody grab my arm. Somebody strong enough to hold on. I turned my head to look, and saw Alice. "Can we talk?" she asked me. I hesitated, unsure. After a few more seconds, I nodded. I wasn't angry with Alice. It wasn't her idea to leave. And I knew that she cared about me. I followed her to the back of the building, where were hidden from the view of other students.

"Bella, do you trust me enough to believe what I say?" she asked me. I nodded. "But I prefer to be called Izzy now," I told her. She nodded, accepting that. "Edward did not leave you for the reasons you think," she said. I stiffened. I hadn't expected her to want to talk about that. "How would you know what I think?" I said coldly. I did _not_ want to discuss this.

"Because he told me what he said to you! Bella, he lied!" she replied. "I know he lied. He lied the entire time I knew him, except for that one night. And now that I'm strong and beautiful and graceful, he decides he wants me back? I'm happy now. You can tell him that. This conversation is over," I said, turning and walking away. I heard her call after me, but I kept walking. I saw Trent and Joey waiting by the car, Joey sitting inside and Trent leaning on the outside. When he saw me, he rushed over.

"Izzy, are you alright? What took you so long?" he asked. "I'm fine. Alice Cullen wanted to talk to me," I told him. His expression turned angry, and a low growl escaped his lips. "And what did she say?" he asked. "She tried to convince me to forgive Edward." Another growl from him. "But I made it clear that I wasn't going to do that," I added. He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. I got into the passenger seat of the car and he got into the back.

"So Joey, how was your day?" I asked. She jumped slightly at my voice. She must have been deep in thought. "Oh, fine. Nothing interesting," she said, in a voice just a bit too high. I frowned. Usually, she would launch into an hour long discussion of every little detail. "Joey, are you feeling okay? You've been acting wierd all day," I said, concerned. She didn't answer, she was deep in thought again. "Joey?" I repeated. She jumped again. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a little distracted," she replied. Her voice was _still_ too high. "Distracted by what?" I asked, making my voice sound teasing. I was really very curious.

"Nothing! Nothing at all! So how was your conversation with Alice?" she said, her voice getting even higher. _Nice change of subject_, I thought. But I answered her anyway. "Unpleasant," I told her. She didn't react at all, obviously still deep in thought. Why did the Cullens have to come here and complicate things? I wondered if the change in Joey had anything to do with them. They had also caused the first fight between Joey and Trent. And Edward was tempting me, even though I wanted to hate him. Could my life _ever_ be simple?

**Alice's POV: **

That was not the way I had planned that conversation. I had expected Bella to listen to me. I couldn't be sure she would, because for some reason I couldn't see her or her coven, but I had assumed that she would. So her anger surprised me. The Bella I remembered wasn't so outspoken. I was so troubled by her reaction that I forgot to hide the conversation from Edward when I got to the car.

"Alice! I told you to leave her alone!" he hissed at me. "I had to talk to her Edward. I don't like seeing you upset, and I knew that if I could just get her to listen then maybe..." I began, not finishing. "She insists on being called Izzy now," I said quietly. It didn't feel right. "I know. A new name for her new identity. It doesn't feel right to me," he said. He hesitated. I knew he wanted to know what had happened during the conversation.

I played the whole thing over in my mind. He winced several times, but listened and watched. When it was over, he sighed. "I should have known she would find someone else eventually. I'd hoped she would move on, and she has," he muttered. But I could see the pain in his eyes.

**Author's note: I just wanted to thank you all again for your great reviews. And for adding this to your favorites or your story alerts. I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it feels to know that people like my work. I didn't expect this kind of response. You all rock and I'll be updating as often as I can. It's like this story writes itself. Thanks again. This story is going to get even more interesting as it goes on. A little hint: something big will happen in the next chapter. I'm not telling you what, but I just wanted to get you all excited for more. **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Sweet Surrender

**Joey's POV: **

It had been a week since the Cullens first came to town. Ruven had tried to talk to me a few more times, and I'd had to be mean to stop him. I thought resisting him would get easier. But it only got harder. No matter how mean I was to him, he still had that look in his eyes. And he still smiled when he saw me. Why did it have to be so hard? Why did every part of me want to give up and allow myself to be with him? Why did I want to do that when it would hurt Izzy? I felt horrible about it. Izzy and Trent had noticed a change in me, and I hoped they weren't worried about me. That would make me feel even guiltier. I wanted to empty my head of thoughts, but every time I did Ruven's face filled my mind.

I had decided to skip class, and was walking around while I waitied for the bell to ring. I had lunch with Trent and Izzy next, and I was planning on letting them know I was going home. Suddenly, I stopped. I could smell blood nearby. I was old enough that I could easily resist it, but I caught another scent that had me panicking. I rushed around the corner and saw two girls, one kneeling, examining her knee, which was bleeding slightly. And I also saw Ruven, about twenty feet away, frozen. His eyes were black, and I could tell he was struggling with his thirst. I rushed over to his side. I had no choice but to get him out of here.

"Hold your breath. I'm going to pull you away. _Please_ don't fight me. You're stronger than me," I whispered. He nodded. I grabbed his hand, trying to ignore how nice it felt in mine, and pulled him toward my car. I opened the door to the backseat and pushed him in, closing his door before getting into the driver's seat and driving out of the school parking lot. "Um, where are we going?" he asked me. "Hunting. When was the last time you went?" I said, almost hissing. "About a month ago," he said, lowering his head. I paused. "How long have you been a vampire?" I asked him quietly. "About sixty years," he replied.

"Sixty years! That's all? And they sent you off to a school when you hadn't hunted in a month? Are you all stupid?" I growled. "Well, I'm usually able to control myself. I guess I'm lucky you were there," he said grinning. I pressed my lips together. This was too much. We finally reached the forest and I got out of the car, needing to be away from the temptation. "Come on," I said, taking off toward the scent of some deer nearby. He followed. I was a faster runner, but his legs were longer, so he wasn't too far behind.

I hunted at the same time he did. It had been a while for me, too, and I needed my strength. "So I'm stronger than you, am I?" I heard him say, referring to my words at the school. "That much should be obvious. You're about a foot and a half taller than me," I said, trying to let annoyance fill my words. "Hmm, a disadvantage. Or maybe not," he muttered. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

He crossed the distance between us in about three steps. He then picked me up off the ground and kissed me. It felt so nice. But I knew I should be fighting this. I pushed halfheartedly against him, but it was obvious that it was too late. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I should have fought. I should have thought about how I was betraying my family. But it was as if Ruven and I were the only two people in the entire world that existed. After what was both a very long time and not long enough, he put me down. I could see his huge grin, and I smiled too.

Then I thought of Izzy, and my smile vanished. "Oh no," I whispered. I fell to my knees and put my head in my hands. "Joey, what's wrong?" he asked, dropping down beside me and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Izzy. I betrayed her," I muttered. "No, Joey. You didn't betray anybody. You have every right to be happy," he said firmly. "But this will hurt her," I said. "So don't tell her. We can keep it a secret. I think that would be a good idea all around," he told me. I thought about it.

Keep a secret from my family? I had never done that before. I would without a doubt feel guilty about that. But it was better than hurting Izzy, right? I should be able to be happy and keep her from knowing how disloyal I was. Slowly, I nodded. He kissed me again, and I knew there was no point in fighting.

**Ruven's POV: **

I was the happiest I had ever been. She had finally agreed to be mine. I had to be the luckiest man in the world. The luckiest man _and_ vampire. Nothing in the world could possibly compare to the knowledge that we could be together. The moment was a bit tainted by her guilt, but she had every right to be happy. I hoped her guilt would fade with time. We stayed there for hours, and the sky was darkening overhead when I heard her cell phone ring. "Hello?" she answered. Her voice was so beautiful, like sweet music. "Joey, it's Izzy. Where are you?" the voice on the other end said.

"Izzy, I'm sorry I didn't call you. I was feeling a little weak because I hadn't hunted in a while, and I decided to leave school early and fix that," she explained. I could tell how hard it was for her to lie, but she managed it wonderfully. "Oh, that's okay. Did you hunt?" the person on the other end asked. "Yep, I did. I'm coming home now, okay? I'll see you in a few minutes," she said, and I frowned. She hung up and looked at me. She laughed a little bit at my expression. Her laughter was so pretty. "Don't worry, you'll see me tomorrow. We'll find some way to spend time together after school," she said, putting a hand on my cheek.

I picked her up and kissed her goodbye, and was still grinning when I heard her car drive away. Now I had to work on the problem of keeping her out of my thoughts. I didn't want Edward to see what was going on. I had a feeling it might hurt him a bit too. He'd been really sad lately over this Bella girl, who Joey called Izzy. I spent the next two hours trying to keep my thoughts from drifting to her every few seconds, but it was very, very difficult.

**Author's note: So there you have it. A little awww moment. But what problems will this secret relationship bring? Will it be discovered? I know, but you're going to have to wait and find out. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Edward's Pain

**Edward's POV:**

The last week had dragged on, seeming never ending. To me, she was still my Bella. She always would be. Knowing how much she hated me now hurt me deeply. Having to see her with another hurt me worse. But perhaps I could live with all of that, if she'd only believed that I had lied to her that night. She believed the lies, but not the truth. She honestly believed that I didn't love her. And she thought that I only wanted her now because she was strong and graceful and beautiful.

But that didn't matter to me. In my eyes, she had always been the most beautiful thing in the world. And I had been alright with saving her all the time. As long as I was not the one who was putting her in danger. That was why I had left in the first place! Not because I didn't want her! The thought of me not wanting my Bella was impossible. But she thought that.

At least she seemed happy. If it didn't look like that man she was with was good to her I would have ripped him to pieces already. I wondered how they had met, but I could not reach anybody's mind in that family. Alice could see nothing of them either. It was as if they were somehow blocking us out. Carlisle theorized that it was Bella's doing, because she was able to block me out before. He thought that may be her gift. It was a good possiblity, too.

Alice walked into the room. Bella was on her mind, and I had to keep myself from wincing as I saw her face so clearly. "Edward, maybe if you tried talking to her, she'd listen," she suggested. She was dead-set on getting Bella to forgive us all. I shook my head. "I've tried speaking to her. She doesn't want to listen to me. And she seems happy enough," I said, hearing how dead my voice sounded.

"So you're just going to give up?!" she yelled. I shrugged. What could I do? "Edward, I know that she would be much happier with you. But first you need to make her believe the truth," she insisted. I was saved from having to answer by Ruven entering the house. I could tell that he was intentionally blocking me out. Normally, that would interest me. But nothing had interested me lately. There was no point to life without my Bella.

Alice's thoughts were warning me that she wasn't about to let this go. "Ruven, come in here!" she yelled. He walked into the room, his eyes golden and the expression on his face making it clear he was barely with us. "Don't you think that Edward should keep trying to find a way to get Bella to listen to the truth? You know that they belong together," she said, grabbing his arm.

"Edward, I think she's right. If you really love somebody, then you should never stop trying to make them yours," he said, even _sounding_ far away. I scowled. "What would you know about it? If she's happy, then I have no right to ruin that," I growled. They couldn't understand. Ruven had never been in love, and Alice had never been in this kind of situation before. They had no idea what I was going through.

They couldn't understand why I would put myself through such pain. They couldn't even imagine the degree of pain I endured. But _all_ I could ever want would be Bella's happiness. After the pain she had lived through because of me, I owed her. I owed her freedom from any more pain from me. I was willing to suffer every moment of every day, just so long as she didn't have to feel pain. Her happiness was all that mattered.

**Author's note: Sorry the chapter is so short. It's more of a filler chapter. I hadn't done anything from Edward in a while, and I figured that he deserved some time to tell what he's been going through. Reviews rock, and so do the people who write them. **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Realization

**Joey's POV:**

I was mostly silent in the car the next morning. I still felt guilty, but I wanted to see Ruven so badly. It was hard for me to maintain my normal speed, because every part of me wanted to be with him. Trent and Izzy were arguing about the Cullens again. I mostly tried to tune them out, but I couldn't ignore everything. Trent kept telling Izzy how we could leave at any time, but she was insisting we stay. I was grateful she didn't want to leave.

"Trent, it doesn't matter anyway. We'll be moving on in three years when Joey finishes school here, and then we'll never see them again," she said. I froze. I hadn't thought of that. I'd finally found somebody I wanted to be with, and three years was all I had with him? It just wasn't fair. I felt despair threaten to overcome me, but I had to keep a smile on my face for Trent and Izzy.

As soon as I got to class, I started whispering to Ruven. "Do you know what I realized this morning?" I muttered quickly. "What?" he said, smiling at me. "We're in two different covens," I replied, hoping I wouldn't have to say it out loud. "I know that," he answered, looking confused. "And mine plans on moving on in three years," I said, so quietly he could probably barely hear me. I saw comprehension on his face, replaced by pain after a second. "My point exactly," I muttered.

**Izzy's POV:**

Things weren't easy with the Cullens around. I'd been avoiding all of them since that small confrontation with Alice. It was hard enough without them trying to convince me to forgive him. The sad part was that I was pretty sure they'd be able to if I let them try. It wasn't fair that he could cause me so much pain but still make me love him. Every time I saw him, I had to remind myself that I'd promised Trent that I wouldn't leave him. I knew that if I left him, he would feel just like I had when Edward left me. I wouldn't inflict that kind of pain on him. I couldn't. He didn't deserve it.

But did Edward? He had tried to hide it, but I could see pain in his eyes. It didn't make sense. _He_ had left _me_. He had told me he didn't want me. He had left a hugh hole in my chest, left me empty. But his pain still caused me pain. I still _wanted_ him. No matter how much I wanted to hate him. I tried to act oblivious to him, but I couldn't completely hide it. Trent saw that, and it hurt him. It seemed I was hurting everyone recently. Even Joey had been acting wierd. It was like my entire life, my entire family, was falling apart at the seams.

Worst of all, I was letting it. I should have left. Why was I staying here? Trent wanted to leave, so why didn't I agree to move on? Was it because I couldn't bear to tear myself away from him? As much as I didn't want to admit it, the thought of leaving him caused me actual pain. So when Trent started trying to convince me to leave in the car this morning, I just couldn't make myself agree. "Izzy, we should leave. This is hard for you, that much is obvious. I don't want to see you in pain," he said.

"Trent, it doesn't matter anyway. We'll be moving on in three years when Joey finishes school here, and then we'll never see them again," I argued. I saw Joey stiffen, but I was paying too much attention to the conversation to really register it. "Are you sure? We could still leave at any time. I would have no problem with-" he began, but I cut him off.

"Trent, I told you that I want to stick it out. Please don't let this trouble you anymore. I'm a tough girl. I can handle it," I lied, laying a hand on his cheek. He didn't need to know how painful it really was. That was my problem, my pain. He didn't say another word for the whole drive. When we got to the school, Joey rushed off with barely a goodbye to get to her class, and I decided that it was a good idea in this situation.

"I should go, I want to get to class early," I muttered, avoiding his eyes. He frowned, but nodded. I rushed off before he even had the chance to kiss me goodbye. He always did, even though I would see him at lunch. But lately it hadn't felt right. Once I was out of his line of sight, I slowed down. I walked very slowly, making it to class seconds before the bell rang. Edward was in his seat, right beside mine. I avoided looking at him and settled in for today's torture.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Threat

**Joey's POV:**

As the next two weeks went by, I found school even more irratating than usual. If I would only have three years with Ruven, I wanted to make the most of them. But school got in the way. At least we would be meeting up in the woods later, to spend some time together away from everybody and everything. I was still trying to come up with an excuse as to why I would need to go anywhere, but I was sure I'd be able to come up with something.

After school, I hurried out of the classroom so that I could get to the car. Izzy didn't like hanging around after school because of the Cullens, even if Trent was with her. As I made my way through the crowd, careful not to accidentally brush against any humans, I felt somebody's hand close around the top of my arm. I tried to pull out, but whoever it was was a lot stronger than me.

I turned around, expecting Ruven. But it wasn't. "E-Edward Cullen?" I stammered, surprised. "Please, may I speak with you?" he whispered. I nodded slowly, wondering what it could possibly be. I doubted that he would be needing anything school related. He pulled me over to a spot hidden from the view of the other students. "Please, I need you to try to speak to Bella for me. She's not going to listen to me or my family, but she might listen to you. I need her to know the truth. I never stopped loving her," he pleaded. _Bella? Oh, right. That's what Izzy used to be called_, I thought.

"I doubt she'll listen to me either. I don't want to get involved in all this. Just give her a little more time. Maybe she'll listen then," I said. "Time? I've lived without her for centuries! I don't know how much more time I can live through!" he growled. I actually wasn't sure why I didn't want to help him. Ruven had told me Edward's side of the story, and I believed it too. So why shouldn't I agree to help him? In truth, I think I was afraid that Izzy would get mad. But she _should_ know the real reasons why he left.

"Well..." I began. "Yes?" he said, eager. He leaned toward me and tightened his grip on my arm, which he had not released throughout the whole conversation. Suddenly I heard a growl, and somebody pulled me away from him. Next thing I knew, I was behind Trent and he looked like he was about to kill Edward. Before he could do anything, Emmett and Jasper were standing on either side of Edward, looking ready for a fight. From what Ruven had told me of Emmett, he would probably _enjoy_ a fight. But a fight was a bad idea in a public place.

"Uh, Trent, take it easy," I whispered, putting my hand on his shoulder. I had to stretch up on on my toes to do it, but it seemed to calm him enough to avoid a fight. Not entirely, however. "If I ever find you or a member of your family near her, or Izzy, again, I will not hesitate to rip you to pieces. None of us want to speak to you. None of us want to see you. Leave the three of us alone," he growled. Then he turned away and walked to the car, pulling me with him. "Izzy decided to run home. Just drive," he told me. Neither of us spoke for the entire drive.

**Izzy's POV:**

I wasn't sure why I wanted to run home, but I did. Something about the feeling of freedom when you're running so fast it feels like you're flying. I heard Trent and Joey pull up outside, and went to the door to meet them. I was surprised by the look of anger on Trent's face. "What's wrong? What happened?" I asked, though I already had an idea. "Edward Cullen. Apparently since you wouldn't listen to him, he's decided to try and force Joey to help him," he growled. Instantly, my anger matched his. Then a thought came to my mind.

"Maybe we ought to leave here after all," I muttered. "No!" Joey yelped. Trent and I looked at her, surprised and confused. "I-I like it here! I don't want to leave. In spite of them, this is a really great place," she said quietly. "We can come back in ten or twenty years, when they're gone," Trent suggested. "But what if it changes?" she whispered. "Joey, a few days ago you hated it here. What's with the change of heart? In fact, what's with the change of everything? You haven't been yourself at all lately," I said.

"I'm fine. Really. But I don't want to leave," she replied. "I'm sorry Joey, but we have to. We should be able to leave in a few days, go to one of our other houses. I'll call the school and let them know. Tomorrow will be our last day," Trent said, taking charge. I gave Joey an apologetic look. There was more pain on her face that I expected. I didn't know she had grown so attached to Forks. But I was sure that leaving would be the best choice for all of us.

I saw Joey turn around and head for the door. "Where are you going?" I called after her. "I need some time to accept the fact that we're leaving. I'm just going to drive around for a bit" she told me before heading out. I heard her start her car and drive away. Trent came back into the room and sat down on the couch next to me. "I called the school. They gave me a little bit of trouble, but tomorrow will be our last day," he said softly, putting his arm around me.

"Are you alright?" he asked after a while. I hadn't moved or said a word the entire time, just stared at the floor. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about where to go next," I lied. I had really been thinking about Edward. If he had started trying to convince Joey to help him, then he must be getting desperate. Maybe he really _had_ lied all those years ago, and wanted to make amends. But I couldn't allow myself to think that. If I did, nothing would stop me from going right back to him.

Trent sighed and got up. He had probably seen through my lie, even though he wouldn't have guessed what I was really thinking about. I heard him go upstairs to our room and sit down. Before we moved here, I would have gone up there and joined him. But now I couldn't bring myself to go. After a few more hours, I called Joey's cell phone to tell her to come home. There was no answer. I decided to go out and find her, to make sure she was alright. Something about the expression on her face before she'd left had me worried.

"Trent, I'm going to go look for Joey. Do you want to come?" I called. I heard his "Yeah, sure," and then his footsteps coming down the stairs. From the look on his face, I could tell that Joey's reaction had worried him too. We couldn't follow her scent because she'd taken her car, but it wouldn't take us long to find her anyway. We had placed a tracker in her car in case it were ever to get stolen. Her car was only a few blocks away, on the edge of the forest. We followed her scent in, hoping we wouldn't find her in any trouble.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Discovery

**Joey's POV:**

I couldn't bear the thought of having to leave in just a few days. As soon as Ruven had seen me, he'd known something was wrong. If it was possible for me to cry, the tears would be pouring down my face. I ran into the clearing we had arranged to meet in and threw my arms around him. "Joey, what's wrong?" he had asked me, holding me tightly. He could tell from my face that this was very bad. "Ruven, we're leaving! Me and Trent Izzy! They decided to leave!" I cried. His grip tightened on me.

"Oh Joey. How much time do we have?" He asked, and I could tell that this caused his as much pain as it caused me. "A few days, I'm not exactly sure," I muttered, barely able to get the words out. He didn't reply, only held me tighter still. It just wasn't fair. I'd been waiting so long to find him. And now it was over. I didn't even know if I would see him again after my last day of school tomorrow. He held me while I cried without tears, and the entire time I thought about the life we could've had.

I should've known better than to think this would ever work. I should've know better than to get in so deep. But I did anyway. Against my better judgement, I had fallen in love, so deeply that I felt a crippling pain at the thought of leaving and never seeing him again. I understood now how Izzy had felt when Edward had left her. Like somebody had punched a hole in the center of my chest, mangling me.

We must have just stood like that for hours, grieving for all the time we should have had together, but wouldn't. "Shh, it will be ok. We'll think of something. We have to. I won't lose you," he whispered. I was less optimistic. "What can we do? I won't ask you to leave your family, and after all Trent and Izzy have done for me I don't think I can leave them," I muttered back. "There's _got_ to be something," he whispered, more to himself.

Suddenly, a sound cut into our broken little world. A sound I recogonized, but that filled me with horror. Two sounds really. Two growls, both low, but one a tiny bit higher. Ruven looked up un shock, and I spun around, breaking out of his arms. Trent and Izzy were standing about ten yards away. The looks on their faces were pure fury, though at me or Ruven I wasn't sure.

"Trent, Izzy, I-" I stammered. I couldn't think of anything to say that would explain this to them. Trent took a step closer, and I could see from his face that he was angry enough to kill. I was about to step in front of Ruven, but before I had the chance, several other people already had. The rest of the Cullens had shown up. Why they would be here, I had no idea. But they were. I suddenly remembered Trent's threat this afternoon. The fact that he was outnumbered wouldn't stop him. I rushed forward and stopped directly in front of him.

"Please don't do anything stupid," I whispered. "Let's just go home," I pleaded, my voice breaking several times. He seemed to debate for a second, his desire to hurt the Cullens warring with his common sense. Then, with a last growl and glare in the Cullens direction, he picked me up and ran with me. I saw Izzy following us. I didn't say anything to him, and he didn't say anything to me. He didn't put me back down until we were inside the house. He started pacing angrily and Izzy just leaned against the wall, staring at me with no expression on her face.

"I-I'm sorry guys," I said quietly. "Why would you do that to yourself? You know that we would not be staying near them for long! And then you lied to us! Why would you keep something from us?" Trent shouted. Suddenly, I was angry. "I don't know, maybe for the same reason you kept secrets from me! I didn't think you needed to know!" I yelled back. He growled at me, and I did the same.

"Stop!" Izzy yelled. She was finally showing some emotion, and she looked really angry. I turned around and ran out of the house, unable to take this one more minute. I ran back to the clearing, half-hoping that Ruven would still be there. But it was empty, and I was alone. I threw myself on the ground and buried my head in my arms. After a while, I heard footsteps coming slowly toward me. I looked up, expecting Trent or Izzy. But instead I saw Ruven.

He sat beside me on the ground and pulled me into his arms. "I wish there was some way to stay together. Maybe there is... No, I can't ask that of you," he muttered. Despite my sadness, I felt a bit of irratation. "What can't you ask of me?" I asked, looking up at him. "I had a thought that we could leave all of this behind. Just long enough for our families to realize that their fighting is hurting the two of us. But I can't ask you to do that," he explained.

I was silent for a few minutes. "Then I'll ask it of _you_. Will you leave here with me, just temporarily?" He paused, surprised. After a tense moment, he nodded. "Yes, Joey, I will leave with you. And we will come back someday, when our families can put the past behind them," he agreed. Then the two of us stood up and ran off into the darkness, hand in hand.

**Author's note: Don't hate me for this! I know it's sad and all, but there's a reason for it all. You'll find out why this had to happen soon. Reviews are greatly appreicated, and another thanks to those who have reviewed already. **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Gone

**Izzy's POV:**

Joey had been gone for a little too long now, and I was starting to get really worried. I had never seen her so upset. I had never seen her upset at all. It was shocking how much she had changed in just a few weeks. But it made sense now. Her long silences, her jumpiness, her strange reactions to the tiniest things... It was all because of Ruven Cullen. Trent and I had both overreacted before, and we realized that now. We waited for her all night, and she still hadn't come back when the sun began to rise.

"That's it! I can't take this anymore! We've got to go look for her!" Trent yelled. I had told him to give her some space last night, but now I agreed with him. "Let's go," I said, surprised at how normal my voice sounded. With all the fear and regret I felt my voice should be cracking and breaking like crazy. We both rushed outside and quickly caught her scent.

We followed it back to the clearing we had found her in last night, where her scent joined with Ruven's. I heard Trent's low growl when he found that, but I let it go unnoticed. We followed their scents for several more miles, until we came to the water. The ocean. Their scent led to a small cluster of bushes and then into the ocean. In the cluster of bushes, I found two cell phones. I recogonized one of them as Joey's and flipped it open. There was one new voicemail. I decided to listen to it, thinking it would be a message to Trent and I. I was right.

"Trent, Izzy, I'm sorry," I heard her voice say. "I wish that we didn't have to do this. But it's become my only option. I love him. Izzy, you should know how much pain the idea of being without him causes me. You should understand. We'll come back someday. We all need some time. Please try to get over all the hate and anger between you and the Cullens. They're really good and nice and they still care about you Izzy. I know this is a really bad way to thank you for all you've done for me. I mean, without you there to change me I never would have even met Ruven. Even though I don't deserve it, I want to ask you for a favor. I know that you are able to block every vampire gift and that you extend that protection to Trent and me. I also know that if you were to lift that protection, then Alice could see us. Please don't lift that protection. Just give us our time. The other cell phone is Ruven's. There's a message for his family on it, and we'd really appreciate it if you could get it to them. I promise that this is not a permanent goodbye. I love you both. I'm sorry."

It took a few seconds for it all to sink in. Joey was gone. She had left because of our stupidity. Because we couldn't move past our misplace anger. I looked over at Trent, and I had never seen him in so much pain. He and Joey were especially close. He was so protective of her, always making sure nothing ever hurt her. And now we both had hurt her. I went over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"She's gone. She's really gone," I whispered. He held me tightly. "What if she gets hurt? She's so small, what if he doesn't protect her?" he muttered. I didn't answer. I didn't want to think of everything bad that could happen to her. We just stood there for a few minutes, trying to grasp the fact that she'd left. Then I pulled away. "What do we do now?" he asked. "First, we go to the Cullens. We tell them what happened, and give them Ruven's message. I think we're going to have to work together on this one," I told him.

Mere minutes later, we were knocking on the Cullen's front door. I kept my face smooth as a surprised Carlisle opened the door. "Bella?" he said, obviously surprised that I had come. "We've got a serious problem. It involves all of us. We need to speak with you and the others. Now. There isn't time to wait," I said. I was surprised at how dead my voice sounded. Carlisle nodded and led us into the living room, where the rest of the family already was.

**Edward's POV:**

I was completely surprised when Bella and Trent walked into our house. After last night, I was sure they would hate us even more than before. They had come at a bit of a bad time. We had just been about to go looking for Ruven. He hadn't come home last night, and we weren't sure what he was capable of. He had been so upset that I'd been reminded of myself when I'd left Bella.

The two of them stood in our living room, something clearly wrong. Both looked like they were suffering from some kind of unbearable pain. They stood in silence for a few moments, then Bella spoke. "Joey's gone. She and Ruven ran off last night. They couldn't take the fighting anymore," she said. I didn't believe it at first. It wasn't possible. He would never do something so reckless. Then I remembered that he was in love with the girl, and I knew that he would do anything to be with her.

"They left these behind," she said, holding out two cell phones. One was Ruven's. "There was a message for us on Joey's, and apparently there's one for you all on Ruven's," she explained. Carlisle held out his hand and she placed Ruven's phone in it. Seconds later, Ruven's voice filled the room. "I'm really sorry about this. If we had another option, we wouldn't be doing this. I love her more than I thought possible, and we'll come back someday. Sorry," we heard him say.

Esme was the first to react, standing up from the couch and walking over to Carlisle. "What do we do?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I don't think there's anything we can do right now. Let's just give them some time and hope they come home. "And if they don't?" I asked. "I don't know. I just don't know," he admitted. The full impact hit us then. Ruven was gone. Our brother had left. And we couldn't do anything but wait.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Phone Call

**Izzy's POV:**

It had been just over two weeks since Joey had left. I spoke with one of the Cullens at least once a day, usually Alice or Carlisle. Trent hadn't really spoken to anyone since that day. I knew how guilty he was feeling, so I didn't push him much. I was feeling guilty too. We all were. We'd been too wrapped up in our own little problems that we hadn't realized just how much Joey and Ruven had loved each other.

I walked into her room, a place I had avoided since she left. It looked exactly like it had that night, but a thin layer of dust covered everything. I saw a familiar picture in a silver frame next to her bed. It was the family portrait the three of us had taked together two years ago. She'd thought it was a bit silly to take it at the time. But over time it had become one of her most prized possessions. I looked at the smiles on our faces and remembered how different things had been then.

I noticed a small diary behind the picture. I didn't think it was such a bad thing to look through it. Maybe it would give me some clue as to where she would have gone. As I read it, I started to cry without tears. I hadn't realized that she had been so lonely before. If I had known, I never would have interfered with her and Ruven. But she hadn't said anything because she felt that she owed me.

She couldn't have been more wrong. She had owed me nothing. After everything I'd done that night, I owed her now. But she wasn't here for me to make up for that. I worried about her every day, not even knowing if she was alive. I had done as she asked and not lifted my protection on her. It was killing me, not knowing what was going on, but after all the pain I had caused her she deserved that much. The phone rang, and neither I or Trent downstairs made any move to answer it.

After a few seconds the ringing stopped. Then it started again. This happened three more times before I finally answered it. "Hello?" I growled. "Izzy?" a very familiar voice said. "Joey!" I yelled, in shock and joy. I heard Trent jump up and he was at my side seconds later. "Hey Izzy. Sounds like Trent's there too. Are you guys doing okay?" she asked. There was something wrong with the sound of her voice. It was too soft, too sad. But her question pushed that out of my mind.

"Are we _okay_? You run off on us and we have no idea where you are or even if you're alive and you're asking us if we're _okay_? Of course not!" I yelled. "I guess I deserve that. I'm really sorry guys," she said. The doorbell rang then. It was the Cullens, all of them, and I realized that we had been intending to start looking for our two runaways today. I told Trent to get the door. They were all crowded around the phone seconds later, wanting to know what was going on.

"Are either of you hurt?" I asked. "No, we're not hurt," she said. "Thank god! We were so worried that you were hurt, and I'm so glad to know that you're safe," I sighed, relieved. "I didn't say safe," she said. If my heart could beat, it would've stopped then. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice hollow. I could see the fear in the others' eyes at her words. She didn't answer. "Joanna, what do you mean?!" I repeated.

"We are in a bit of trouble. You see, we ran into another coven that... isn't like us at all. They love violence, live for the fight. They saw the two of us alone and tried to attack us. But we told them that we had a large family that would come after them if they did anything to us. We thought that would scare them off," she explained. I waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"What happened then?" I asked. I could hear her hesitation. "They thought it sounded _fun_. They enjoyed the thought of a fight like that. So much that they couldn't resist it. We're sort of... prisoners," she finished. There was a terrified silence on our side of the line. "We're coming for you. Where are you?" I asked. "Izzy, you don't have to. I'm sure we can find a way to-" she started. "Where are you?" Edward growled.

"Ireland," she said. "Where exactly?" I asked. I listened closely as she told us where they were being held, and then she hung up. I looked into the worried eyes of everybody in the room, even Edward. I lingered on his face for a few moments, still unable to bring myself to resist loving him. "It looks like we're all going to Ireland," I said, breaking the silence.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Fight

**Izzy's POV: **

We arrived in Ireland early the next morning. We knew that we had one or two more fighters, but also that the opponents we faced fought for a living. They were bound to have more experience and be better fighters. But we couldn't just abandon Joey and Ruven. We were all very solemn as we got off the airplane and started planning. Our main priority was getting everybody out unhurt. As much as we hated to, we would let the ones who had kidnapped them live unless we absolutely had to kill them. We had to use or time wisely.

We got to the place Joey told us they were that evening. It was a huge, gray stone castle surrounded by nothing but green hills and trees. We were trying to decide the best way in when the doors suddenly opened. One male vampire stood there, his red eyes bright with anticipation and a sick smile on his white face. "We've been expecting you," he said.

Trent almost lunged at him, but Jasper and Emmett held him back. "If you hurt Joey then I swear I'll kill you slowly and enjoy every minute of it," he growled. "We have not harmed your friends. Yet. Follow me," the stranger said, turning and walking into the dark halls. We could see clearly, but we didn't know if it was a good idea to follow. We finally stepped inside and followed through the long hallways, searching for any hint of Joey or Ruven.

We were led into a large stone room, where there were three large bonfires burning. I saw Joey and Ruven in the corner, guarded and looking nervous but otherwise unhurt. I saw Joey's eyes light up when she saw us all, but then somebody stepped in front of her. "You came!" I heard her yell, looking around the person in front of her. He turned to face her then. "Have I not spoken to you about saying things when we have not told you to?" he asked coldly.

"As if that matter anymore. We're going to be away from you creeps soon, so I'm going to irratate you as much as possible until then," she answered with a smirk. I almost smiled. Typical Joey. But that wasn't smart in the present situation. I saw the next few seconds as if they were in slow motion. The man raised his hand and smacked her, she fell backwards, and then it started.

All around was utter chaos as several fights started at the same time. I saw Joey and Ruven fighting together, and I was thankful. I was always worried about how tiny little Joey would handle a fight like this. Then one of them came at me, and there was no time to think about anything but staying away from the fires my attacker was trying to drive me towards.

I couldn't see how everybody else was doing. I was facing a very strong and skilled fighter, and I was barely able to hold my own. I kept losing inches and getting closer to the fire at my back. I made a simple half turn, and now the fire was at my side, as well as my attacker's. If he slipped up just once, I would be able to push him sideways and end him.

But he never seemed to repeat a move. Every time I expected him to do something, he did something else. I didn't see what part of him he moved, but then I was on the ground. He was preparing to force me into the fire just a few feet away when something crashed into him. They both went flying, and I only had time to see the furious look on Trent's face as he and my attacker vanished into the flames.

"NO!" I cried, flinging myself toward the fire, intending to try and pull him out. I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist, restraining me. "No Bella, there's nothing you can do now. It's too late," Edward whispered to me. I went limp in his arms and would have fallen to my knees had he not been holding me. "No!" I heard Joey scream, and realized that she must have seen what had happened.

It was entirely surreal. All around me, the fights were ending. The Cullens were eliminating their opponents, but I didn't notice any of that. All I could hear was the sound of my and Joey's sobs. All I could see were the red, yellow, and orange flames, giving off a horrible smoke. All I could feel physically were Edward's arms around me, comforting me. And all I could feel emotionally and complete numbness. I knew the pain would come, but right now I couldn't feel anything.

**Author's note: Wow, that was difficult to write. I've had it planned out forever, but I didn't expect to be so sad to make it happen. I almost cried while writing it! But everything happens for a reason. You'll see what I mean soon.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to get this out. There was a death in my family, and I had to go away for a while. I should be getting back into the habit of regular updates now that I'm home. **

Chapter 18:

**Joey's POV:**

The fights seemed to be turning in our direction. Ruven and I were fighting together, and everybody else was doing fine on their own. Then I suddenly noticed that Izzy was losing. She kept getting pushed closer and closer to the fire. I kept trying to go help her, but the one Ruven and I were fighting kept pulling me back. He was good, and the fight would need both of us if we were going to win. I kicked him in the stomach, giving Ruven the chance to shove him into the nearest fire.

I then turned to go help Izzy, and I saw her on the ground, about to lose. Before I could take more that a few steps, I saw Trent slam into her attacker, both of them flying into the fire. I heard Izzy scream, but I couldn't make any part of me react. I kept thinking that he was going to jump out in a few seconds, smiling at his win. But he never did. After a few seconds, I realized that he was gone. "No!" I cried, not wanting to believe it.

I fell to my knees in shock. It just wasn't possible. He was a _vampire_, for crying out loud! He wasn't supposed to be able to die! But he did. And it was my fault. There really was no getting around it. If I had never run away, he would never have come here. I had been selfish, had been for a while, and now I was paying for it. I felt Ruven's arms pulling me close, stroking my hair. "Joey, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

He was all I could hear, all I could feel. I put my arms around him and held him tightly. I buried my face in his shoulder, which I could only even reach because we were both on our knees, and cried, broken, tearless sobs. He just held me close, gently stroking my hair and whispering to me. I was slightly aware that Izzy was crying too. "We need to go," a vioce, I wasn't sure whose, whispered.

I allowed myself to be led outside, into the dark night. I was still numb, so Ruven carried me as we ran toward the airport. I found myself sitting next to Izzy as we waited for our plane. I had never seen her look so...empty, her eyes so dead. And because of me. "Izzy, I'm sorry. So, so sorry. This is all my fault. I was selfish and stupid and I would completely deserve it if you hate me now," I whispered, looking at the ground instead of her.

"What?" she said. I looked up to see an unfathomable expression on her face. "You think this is your fault?" she whispered back. "I know it is," I muttered, waiting for her to tell me how much she hated me for this. "Joanna Gwyneth Carson Palmer, this is _not_ your fault. Not even a little bit," she growled, looking angry now. "But if I had never run away, he would still be alive," I persisted. Izzy shook her head.

"If anything, it's my fault for acting like I did when we saw you and Ruven together. I should have been more understanding. It's obvious that you love him. I understand why you left. I know what it's like to be away from the one you love," she whispered, and I saw her eyes flicker to Edward, who was standing too far away to hear. I leaned into her shoulder, feeling her arm wrap around me.

It wasn't fair that Trent was gone. But life worked that way most of the time. Those who most deserve to keep living find their lives cut short. Those left behind have to deal with the pain and loss. But we are never completely alone. We have our families. The ones who forgive us no matter how big the mistake. The ones who love us no matter what we do, no matter the choices we make. Izzy and I would always have each other, and I fully understood that for the first time as the two of us sat together in that airport.

**Author's Note: Yes it is a short chapter, sorry about that. That last paragraph really teared me up, because I now have some very recent personal experience to bring in. But it's very true.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Healing

**Izzy's POV:**

A month passed. Sometimes it felt like time was moving in slow motion, other times like it was speeding by. Joey and I still lived in the house we had before, but she spent most of her time by the Cullens now. She was always with Ruven. The few times they had been together over at out place had been hard for me. They were so happy, and it seemed that I never would be. My luck in love was nonexistent. She had seen this, so they were rarely at our house together anymore.

But none of the pain I felt when seeing them together mattered anymore. Because a worse pain was coming. I had lost Trent, and now I was going to lose Joey too. She would still continue to live, and happily too. But not with me. Ruven had asked my permission to ask her to marry him. I knew that she would say yes. She would go live with him and the rest of the Cullens, and I would not.

The only thing that made this bearable was that I knew how happy she would be. Ruven would be able to keep her safe, to put up with her hyperactivity, to give her everything she could ever want. So it wasn't as painful as when I had lost Trent. Not as painful, but painful enough. Tonight was the night. He had picked her up a few minutes ago. He was taking her out to dinner and he would ask her.

I was pulled out of my depressing thoughts when a knock came on the door. I had the door open in seconds, but I did not expect who I would find there. "Edward?" I asked, confused. He smiled a tiny bit. "I thought you might want some company. I can leave if you want," he said. I shook my head. "No, come in. You just... surprised me is all," I answered, closing the door as he entered. We stood there silently for a few minutes, unsure what to say to each other.

"Bella, are you alright?" he finally asked. No, I wasn't. My life had fallen apart in a few short months. I was going to be alone soon, my family gone. And worst of all, I still loved Edward as much as I had while I was human. I felt like I was going to explode. "I'm fine," I replied. He saw through my lie. He always had been able to. "Bella, I know that things are very hard for you right now. You don't have to be alone," he whispered.

I turned away, wanting to hide my reaction. I wasn't sure why I was still fighting him, but I was. I tried to suck in a deep breath, but it caught in my throat. I couldn't help it. Several small sobs escaped. The next thing I knew, Edward's arms were around me, comforting me. I let him. Even after all these years, it felt natural having him hold me like this. It felt right.

"Bella, I know you think I left you all those years ago because I didn't want you anymore. That was the worst lie I've ever told. I never stopped loving you. These past three hundred years have been completely empty without you. I love you," he whispered. I couldn't think of anything to say. Because he was telling me everything I'd always wished he would. And he really, really _meant_ it. In that moment, I couldn't understand why I hadn't seen his honesty before.

"Edward, I never stopped loving you either. That's why I acted like I hated you. I think that's also why I didn't believe you the other times you told me this," I whispered back. He said nothing in response, only held me tighter. I wasn't ready for things to go back to the way they had been. Not yet, at least. I needed time. I had to let my heart heal before I could give it to him. But I knew he would wait for me.

The phone rang, cutting into our little world. I reluctantly broke away and went to answer it. "Izzy? You're not going to believe what just happened!" I heard Joey's voice yell. Of course, I already knew what had happened. But what had happened with Edward had turned my feelings toward from sadness to happiness. I decided to play along. "What happened, Joey?" I asked, a smile forming on my face. Next to me, Edward smiled too.

"Ruven asked me to marry him! I said yes!" she squealed. Edward and I fought back laughter. "That's great Joey!" I told her. My happiness was obvious, but so was the fact that I wasn't surprised. "You knew already, didn't you?" she asked. "Yes. We all did," I admitted. She laughed. "Of course I'm the last one to know. I should have seen that coming. See you later, Izzy," she laughed.

"Um, Joey, can you do something for me?" I said. A thought was forming in my head, and I knew it was the right choice. "Sure Izzy. Anything for you," she replied. "Do you think you can call me Bella?" I asked. She paused for a moment, likely surprised. "Sure. Sure Bella," she answered.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Wedding

**Bella's POV: **

The next several weeks were a blur. Alice quickly tried to take control of planning the wedding, probably expecting Joey to step aside and want little to do with it, like I would have. I was glad to see how easily the two of them were able to work together. The two of them definately had similar personalities. Maybe Alice wouldn't harass me to shop with her if she had Joey. Edward and I were still only friends, only because I was so nervous about being back the way we used to be. Of course, we would be like that again, it was just the matter of when.

It seemed like no time had passed, but suddenly Joey's wedding day had arrived. The ceremony was going to be very small. The only guests were the Cullens and I. The minister was an old friend of the Cullens, and another vampire. I was sitting in the living room of the Cullen house, where Joey and I would be moving in. Alice was getting Joey ready up in her room.

I was getting very impatient when Alice finally called my name from the top of the stairs. I walked up the stairs very slowly, wondering how Joey would look, how she would be feeling. When I walked in, I was momentarily stunned. She looked amazing. Her dress was very simple. It was white satin that went just past her knees, fitted on the bodice but the skirt flowing away from her body. A deep violet sash went around her waist. And she was smiling wider than I'd ever seen before.

"Well Bella? What do you think?" she asked. "Oh Joey, you look amazing. I'm so happy for you," I whispered, knowing that I'd be tearing up if I could. I walked over and hugged her tightly. She hugged me back. We stood like that for a few minutes before Alice said, "Watch it! You'll mess up her dress if you're not careful!" We both laughed, and I let her go. Then it was time for the wedding to begin.

The ceremony was very simple, traditional too. Alice had insisted on a reception, and of course she got it. I stood off to the side, watching as Joey and Ruven went up for their first dance. I could see the pure love in their eyes as they looked at each other. The two of them were opposites, but they balanced each other. Joey was silly and hyperactive, Ruven was serious and calm. They even looked opposite. Her so short, him so tall, her hair light, his dark. But somehow it was easy to see that they were meant for each other.

"They go together well, don't they?" A voice said from beside me. I didn't have to look to know it was Edward. I smiled. "They do. Like each was created just for the other," I answered. I turned to face him, looking him in the eye. "Do you think everybody has somebody like that somewhere? Somebody perfect for them, just waiting to be found?" I whispered. I moved a little closer to him.

"I don't know. From how rare real-life happy ending seem to be, I wouldn't think so. I think that only a lucky few ever find who was made for them. And some of them are stupid enough to give it up," he answered, moving a little closer to me, as well. I knew that he included himself in those stupid enough to give it up. "And others are lucky enough to find what they gave up again," I whispered. He leaned in toward me and I moved the rest of the way, wrapping my arms around me and bringing my lips to his. He pulled me even closer and kissed me back.

"Finally!" a voice yelled. I jumped a bit and pulled back, keeping Edward's hand and smiling. If I could have blushed, I would have. Emmett was the one who had yelled, but they were all smiling. I looked for Joey, wondering how she would take this. She was beaming, obviously happy that I was happy. Everything was falling into place now. This was how it was meant to be.

Joey and I were both ready to let go of our old life and fall into our new. Of course, we would never forget anything. We'd always remember the past three centuries. But things were changing now. We were where we belonged. And we were happy there. Everything had happened for a reason. Because it was leading up to this. This perfect moment was an indication of the rest of eternity. And the rest of eternity looked pretty good to me.

**Author's Note: Don't you just love happy endings? Yes, this story is over now. But I've got a lot more ideas, so I'm probably going to wind up writing a sequel. Do you think I should? Any suggestions on events in the possible sequel? I hoped you liked this. It is my first ever fan fiction, so I hope you all enjoyed it. There's only one thing to type now:**

**The End**


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